March 13th, 2014- Quick Write and Classwork

In my opinion, do I think that smart kids should have their own schools?

I honestly feel that it is discrimination to say that smart kids should have their own schools. I feel like asking this question: What is a "smart kid"? According to that same definition, what would the children that don't fit into the "smart kid" category be considered, "dumb kids"?

However (and I may be contradicting myself when I say this), I agree with there being specialized high schools. I feel as if those schools are put into place for those students who preform exceptionally well on the specialized high school admissions test.


Step 2: My Summary of What I Learned From My Research Thus Far....

Today I realized that there are more counterclaims against educational tracking then there are claims supporting it. I learned that more and more educators are denouncing educational tracking because of the fear that the discriminatory labels that are put on students with a lower educational ability will follow them from grade to grade. Some teachers support educational tracking because they feel that the students put there are "gifted" and will be better accommodated to continue their extremely high levels of academic achievement without getting "distracted" by students that are not considered gifted. I also learned that some people do not support tracking because they find that the students not accepted into specialized high schools lose motivation in regular public schools to strive to do well.